Plain Writing Act Compliance Report

Department of Energy

April 13, 2012

I. Introduction

The Department of Energy sees the implementation of the Plain Writing Act as an important initiative that helps the Department share relevant information in a way that is clear, concise, and informative. The areas referenced in this report are only a few of the successes we have encountered as we continue to implement the Act.

II. Departmental Plain Writing Officials

A. Ingrid Kolb, Director of the Office of Management, Senior Agency Official Responsible for Plain Writing

B. Michael Coogan, Office of the Executive Secretariat, Plain Language Point-of- Contact

III.Examples of Agency Website Communications Available in a Format Consistent with the Plain Language Guidelines

A. Department of Energy. This redesigned website went live on August 4, 2011. The new energy.gov represents a commitment to principles of open government and Plain Language in a number of ways, including:

 Energy.gov blog. This blog features timely content highlighting many exciting innovations from the Department and its partners across the country. In addition to providing context for complex scientific processes and discoveries, energy.gov blog entries are written in Plain Language.

 Training. Contributors to energy.gov are encouraged to incorporate Plain Language in content areas they maintain. They receive a set of content guidelines that include tips and guidance on using Plain Language.

 Web Council. The Department of Energy’s Web Council — created in December 2010 — allows Department web staff and digital communications specialists to collaborate across programs and share best practices for improving web content, including the enforcement of Plain Language guidelines.

1 B. U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). In February 2011, the EIA website was redesigned, adding new elements including a Plain Language feature called “Today in Energy.” Current energy issues are explained in a Plain Language format. EIA’s website contains education content in a number of areas, all reflecting Plain Language principles, including:

 Today in Energy. This page features short articles with energy news and information. Every business day, EIA provides bite-sized pieces of information (including a graph, photo, or animation) that readers can use in business, government, schools, and their personal lives. Energy experts explain topical data, reports, issues, and trends to build the public’s understanding of energy issues.

 Energy in Brief. This series of articles answers questions relevant to the public and recommends resources for further reading.

 Energy Kids. This student-friendly website provides opportunities — through information and activities — to learn about energy while improving research and reading skills. The teacher guide provides activities for using Energy Kids as a resource to teach students about energy in a fun and interactive way.

 Energy Explained. This resource describes the different sources and uses of energy in understandable, everyday language.

C. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). Website content, fact sheets, and other documents are written in an easy-to-read style consistent with Plain Language requirements. EERE’s Communication Standards website includes guidelines for content writers and editors, and includes a specific section explaining the Plain Writing Act and its requirements. The website contains a number of features reflecting Plain Language guidelines, including:

 Lumens and the Lighting Facts Label. This page helps users understand their lighting choices and possible energy savings from using various types of lighting.

 Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency. This page explains Federal tax credits for energy efficiency that are currently available and the requirements to qualify for those credits.

 Energy Savers blog. The writers on this blog discuss energy topics and technologies in a conversational tone.

D. Other DOE Web Content. Other Departmental offices also publish web content that is consistent with Plain Language requirements. The Office of Fossil Energy highlights the Department’s efforts regarding clean coal technologies, hydrogen, and other clean fuels. The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) website 2 (www.nnsa.energy.gov) discusses key programs, initiatives, and accomplishments in a series of Fact Sheets.

IV. Examples of Other Agency Communications Consistent with the Plain Language Guidelines

A. Office of the Executive Secretariat. The Office of Executive Secretariat is responsible for overseeing Secretarial correspondence and most Departmental Congressional Reports. The office provides Departmental guidance on these documents consistent with the Plain Writing Act and reviews documents for consistency with the Act’s guidelines.

B. Chief Information Office (CIO). The CIO updates and revises Information Technology directives and guidance using Plain Language principles to ensure that they are readable and understandable.

C. DOE PowerPedia. PowerPedia (DOE’s internal Wikipedia site) shares information with employees and contractors using Plain Language principles.

V. Informing Agency Staff of the Plain Writing Act’s Requirements

A. The Department of Energy’s website contains a link to the agency’s initial Plain Writing Act Compliance Report of July 13, 2011 in its “Open Gov” section.

B. In addition, there is a Plain Language page on PowerPedia, the Department’s internal wiki. As a wiki, contributions and conversation about Plain Language — via the associated “talk” page — are encouraged from all users. The page includes resources and information, including:

 Embedded YouTube videos from the Plain Language Action Information Network that highlight best practices for clear writing  Training schedules for Plain Language classes  Guidelines for writing in Plain Language

VI. Training

In August 2011, a Department of Energy-wide email announcing two Plain Language training classes drew a strong response. As of this date, the Department of Energy has sponsored eight Plain Language Training classes, and has trained a total of 215 employees and contractors. All classes were led by instructors from the Plain Language Action Information Network.

The Department’s Plain Language classes have offered participants tools that allow them to present information more clearly, including the following guidelines:

3  Identifying the audience and focusing on what the reader needs to know  Helping the reader find and understand information  Using the active voice  Using pronouns and “everyday words”  Shortening sentences and paragraphs  Limiting jargon and acronyms  Using lists and tables instead of text

VII. Ongoing Compliance/Sustaining Change

A. All Department of Energy employees and contractors are encouraged to incorporate Plain Language features when writing for their respective Program Offices. Some Program Offices have developed Style Guides that support Plain Language concepts. Other offices, such as the CIO, integrate Plain Language concepts into their document review process.

The Office of Executive Secretariat incorporates Plain Language standards in its review of Departmental documentation and external correspondence and works with Program Offices to emphasize Plain Language principles.

B. The Department’s PowerPedia wiki contains an “Acronyms List” that helps identify Department-related acronyms for readers; it also provides authors with the full name of the acronym to spell out the acronym the first time it is used.

C. Plain Language training is ongoing. At least one Plain Language class is offered to employees each quarter. Starting in April 2012, the Department of Energy has an in- house instructor to train staff on Plain Language writing.

VIII. Agency’s Plain Writing Websites

A. The Department’s Plain Language website.

B. The Department’s July 13, 2011 Plain Writing Act Compliance Report.

C. The Plain Language Page on PowerPedia, the Department of Energy’s employee intranet site.

D. The Department’s Plain Language Page link to Federal Plain Language Guidelines.

E. Link from the Department’s Plain Language Page to the Plain Language Action Information Network.

4 IX. Customer Satisfaction Evaluation after Experiencing Plain Language Communications

In December 2011, the Department of Energy website was recognized as the “best government agency website” by GovLoop. The article said that energy.gov “shows a clear dedication to becoming more interactive and overall just plain useful. From sleek photography, localized search returns, clean navigation (which persists as you scroll), and great presentation of data, energy.gov really is at the forefront of government websites.” In April 2012, energy.gov was named the world’s best Enterprise Website Built with Drupal, as part of the first annual Blue Drop Awards.

From August 4, 2011, when the Department of Energy website was relaunched, to the present, traffic to the website has increased significantly and continues to grow. Also, in a U.S. Energy Information Administration customer satisfaction survey conducted in August 2011, 90 percent of respondents said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of information on the site, and 97 percent said they found useful or some useful information on the website.